Russia boosting Trump's 2020 campaign, US intelligence warns

Washington | Intelligence officials have warned US congressmen that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election campaign to help President Donald Trump get re-elected, people familiar with the closed-door briefing said on Thursday (Friday AEDT).

Though intelligence officials have previously told lawmakers that Russia's interference campaign is continuing, last week's briefing contained what appeared to be new information, including that Russia intended to interfere with the 2020 Democratic primaries as well as the general election.

The New York Times and The Washington Post, which first reported the warning, said the news infuriated Mr Trump, who complained that Democrats would use the information against him.

Over the course of his presidency, Mr Trump has dismissed the intelligence community's assessment of Russia's 2016 election interference as a conspiracy to undermine his victory.

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One day after the February 13 briefing to the House Intelligence Committee, Mr Trump berated the then-director of national intelligence (DNI), Joseph Maguire, and he announced this week that Mr Maguire would be replaced by Richard Grenell, a Trump loyalist.

US intelligence agencies say Russia interfered in the 2016 election through social media campaigns and stealing and distributing emails from Democratic accounts. They say Russia was trying to boost Mr Trump's campaign and add chaos to the American political process.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that Russian interference was "sweeping and systematic", but he did not find a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign.

In last week's briefing before House lawmakers, Mr Trump's allies challenged the DNI's chief election official, Shelby Pierson, who delivered the conclusions, saying Mr Trump has been tough on Russia, the Times reported.

But Mr Trump has also spoken warmly of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and withdrawn troops from areas, like Syria, where Moscow could fill the vacuum. He delayed military aid last year to Ukraine, a Russian adversary – a decision that was at the core of his impeachment proceedings.

Ms Pierson said several times during the briefing that Russia had "developed a preference" for Mr Trump, according to a US official familiar with her comments.

We do not have evidence at this time that our adversaries are directly looking at interfering with vote counts or the vote tallies.

— Shelby Pierson, intelligence official

The Times said Mr Trump was angry that the House briefing was made before the panel's chairman, Democrat Adam Schiff, who led the impeachment proceedings.

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Mr Trump on Thursday formally appointed Mr Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany, to replace Mr Maguire as the new acting director of national intelligence. Mr Maguire was required to step down soon under federal law governing acting appointments. The Times cited two administration officials as saying the timing, after the intelligence briefing, was coincidental.

Ms Pierson told NPR in an interview that aired last month that the Russians "are already engaging in influence operations relative to candidates going into 2020. But we do not have evidence at this time that our adversaries are directly looking at interfering with vote counts or the vote tallies".

Ms Pierson, appointed in July 2019 by then-Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, works with intelligence agencies like the CIA, the FBI, the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to identify anyone seeking to interfere with US elections.

Ms Pierson told NPR that the US doesn't know exactly what the Russians are planning, but she said it's not just a Russia problem.

"We're still also concerned about China, Iran, non-state actors, hacktivists and frankly – certainly for DHS and FBI – even Americans that might be looking to undermine confidence in the elections."

At an open hearing this month, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that Russia was engaged in "information warfare" heading into the November election, but that law enforcement had not seen efforts to target America's infrastructure. He said Russia is relying on a covert social media campaign to divide the American public.

More than 10,000 people poured into the nation's capital on the ninth day of protests over police brutality, but what awaited them was a city that no longer felt as if it was being occupied by its own country's military.

More than 10,000 people poured into the nation's capital on the ninth day of protests over police brutality, but what awaited them was a city that no longer felt as if it was being occupied by its own country's military.